The existence of the Maple Leaf Festival is something that Baldwin City is aware of, but maybe not everyone knows what is behind it. BHS Geometry teacher Mike Curran, who has been involved in it for the last 8 years as a board member, has a long experience.
The Maple Leaf Festival is a festival started out as a garage sale by the women of the community of Baldwin City and as it began to grow for a couple of years people thought that it was a good idea.
But why the maple leaf? They noticed that the maple leaves altern colors about the time people were doing the garage sale and so they decided to go ahead and turned it into a festival, so it grew and grew and grew.
Everyone has different thoughts about it, there is someone who likes it and someone not, but Curran’s favorite part of it is one specific thing.
“My favorite part is to get up on Sunday morning and go downtown at about 6 a.m. when nobody is around and watch the sun come up over 8th street,” he said. “It’s quiet, the sun comes up, it’s just beautiful down through there, nobody is there yet, I don’t have to deal with anything, It’s just quiet.”
Also, it is not an easy job to keep alive the traditions and Curran confirmed it.
Everybody wants to change it into a public show and that’s not what Baldwin people are. They are craft shows, people bringing the things they make and sell those things.
“There aren’t any pella windows to sell their windows, just ordinary people bringing their crafts and selling those things,” he said.
That’s the most difficult thing for people to understand. It’s a small town, no improvements are needed if the fundamental part is the tradition.
It is also important to know what people think about it: BHS Journalism teacher Harris loved the days of the festival since he was a child.
“I love Maple Leaf weekend, it is not only a fun few days, it is also one of the most important events of the year for the Baldwin City community,” he said.
It is a fun time not only for adults but also for kids and students.
In fact, BHS sophomore Maddie Maddox’s favorite part of it is seeing communities gathered together defining the amazing atmosphere during the third week of October.
“You will see stands from Nebraska, Missouri and other surrounding states,” she said. “You can also see students from other schools, for example Eudora, Spring Hill and Louisburg.”
This year, Maple Leaf Festival will take place on Oct. 21st in Baldwin city.